A Dangerous Arrangement
by PuffleHuff
Summary: Amber needs Jerome. In fact, Jerome needs Amber, too. But neither will sacrifice their pride for a public friendship until possible tragedy is thrown into the mix. Rated T for safety, possible complex themes, language. Angst/Comfort/Friendship/Romance, slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I've been attracted toward writing these drabbly little things with unconventional/unusual pairs of characters. Here's a sweet, sad look at a friendship and little insecurities I've imagined for Amber and Jerome. Thank you for choosing this story.**_

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><p>Amber's long blonde hair was tickling Jerome's bare arms in the breeze. The weighty warmth of her cheek pressed into Jerome's chest was reaching that borderline where comforting and safe started to turn into pain. Plus, the sun had dropped low enough in the sky that the light behind his eyelids was becoming irritating. All the same, he was reluctant to rouse the shallow girl from their revery.<p>

He knew, even if she didn't, how wrong what they were doing was. He knew they couldn't go on using each other, manipulating each other for much longer. The other students of Anubis House had to be suspicious, especially that whip-smart roommate of Amber's, Nina Martin. Nothing got passed Nina. At least not for long.

But Amber was super paranoid, too. There was no way her reputation could live down the revelation of her arrangement with Jerome. Even at her ditsiest, in her most clueless moments, Amber would never give away their secret. Would she? _No, she needs me,_ Jerome thought with bitter satisfaction.

Jerome squinted his eyes shut, dropped his head, and inhaled the fruity flavor of whatever hair-product Amber had used that morning. He unwrapped his arms from around the blonde's torso and pressed the palms of his hands against his eye sockets, letting an exaggerated yawn fill his lungs and jostle Amber where she lay against him.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Amber's quiet voice asked, though she had not shown any signs of stirring.

"Well, this tree is nothing like an overstuffed Italian leather sofa, that's for sure..."

Amber lifted her head, craning her neck to try to see into Jerome's face. His thin face was contorted into double chins as he too twisted to return her look. "If you weren't so atrocious, I'd compliment your good taste in upholstery," she quipped before leaning away, removing the rest of her weight from Jerome's body. His legs had been stretched straight out in front of them as the two had leaned together against an elm in the clearing, and he now pulled them up, flexing the stiff muscles. Amber made a fuss of stacking her homework and textbooks together, and Jerome knew she was waiting for him to stand first so there was no chance he could look up the skirt of her uniform. He smiled to himself and took his time, making a show of stretching.

For all the flaunting of confidence in her looks, Amber was possibly the most insecure girl in Anubis house. _No_, he corrected himself, _that's probably Patricia_. Jerome had a special distaste for Patricia and her "hardcore" exterior. _All the same_, he thought, _you'd think Amber would have gotten over herself by now_. In the past few weeks he'd come to know and understand Amber in ways he never would have expected. So why all the modesty now, when they were clearly alone? It wasn't like Jerome was desperate for a peek, anyway. It would have been hard for him to care less.

In the end it wasn't worth trying to wait Amber out just to annoy her. He stood and slung his satchel and blazer over a shoulder. Amber gathered her books under one arm and raised the other, hand outstretched, legs tucked primly. "Help a girl up?" Jerome rolled his eyes but lifted her by the elbow all the same.

They were standing close, and that uncomfortable heat radiated between them. Jerome's gaze drifted off over her shoulder. Amber's eyes fell to the ground between them. It was one thing to wrap his arms around her when she couldn't look into his face, to comfort her when they were alone, away from the group. But seeing all of her at once made it impossible for him to ignore the fact that they were using each other. Amber couldn't keep filling the growing gap in his emotional needs, and he couldn't keep "being there" for her when Alfie was too immature to support her.

"Thanks," she half whispered, attempting to inflect a nonchalance that clearly wasn't nonchalant.

"Amber, we-"

"You can't tell anyone," she cut him off.

-can't keep doing this." He finished anyway. Their eyes gravitated back toward each other.

"I know." There was some sort of earnest fire behind her eyes that made Jerome believe the girl. She clearly wasn't as featherbrained as she let people believe. There were heartbreak and honesty in her words and it pulled at him. Her fragility wrapped its fingers around his desire to be wanted, to be needed, and strangled him. He closed the gap between them, his arms looped around her, and she clung to his shirt. They clutched at each other because who else was there?

"I'm sorry," he breathed into the crown of her head. "I won't tell anyone."

"I know you won't. Neither will I."

They pulled apart. Amber brushed some bark and tree-stuff from Jerome's shirt, then turned and walked away. He stood, watching her go. She could be bitter with him. She could be cold and biting, because he was bitter too. He could be her rock who wouldn't fight back, who never made fun of her vulnerability. And she would let him silently pretend to protect her. There was some sick symbiosis there. He knew they couldn't go on using each other, manipulating each other for much longer, but for now he could hang on.

He pulled the note out of his pocket, its creases nearly worn through from multiple readings. The letters were neat and round, written in pink_. _He'd long ago committed the few words to memory. No one could find out. Jerome tore up the bit of paper, scattering the remnants into the evening breeze, and slowly retraced Amber's path back to the house.

_I need your help.  
>Tell no one.<br>-Ambs_

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><p><em><strong>AN: Kind of drabbly and awkward. Please write a review if you feel so inclined. I enjoy receiving any suggestions, concrit, or insights you may have about my writing. Thank you for taking the time. Sincerely, the Pufflehuff**_**  
>Update 130/2012: Do to some interest shown, I am considering converting this to a multi-chap. It would probably continue to be brief, somewhat drabbly installations, just more of them, and all strung together. If you have strong feelings on this either way, please let me know via review or PM. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** **I've been inspired to write some more companionship for Jerome and Amber! Please be aware that I am writing them as people interacting, not necessarily as the exact characters they are on the show. In these pieces there are no "secrets of the house." They're all just teenagers dealing with life. It is slightly AU in this sense. I am choosing to focus on their human qualities and interaction, instead of driving a mystery &/or romantic plot.  
>Thank you for reading on.<strong>_

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><p>"Nice gloves," Jerome teased sarcastically, bumping Amber's arm with an elbow as he brought the last of the dishes from the table.<p>

"I have to protect my delicate skin! All I have is my beauty!" To any passerby it would have sounded as though Amber were whining again. To Jerome's recently trained ears, however, there were notes of exasperation and anger. He couldn't help but think that Amber _really_ didn't want to be having an outburst in the middle of chores.

Jerome's expressive eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he scanned the dining room and kitchen for signs of the others. It was imperative that no one ever heard the two converse on friendly terms. "Is everything alright, Ambs?" he inquired in hushed tones, having confirmed their isolation in that part of the house.

Amber looked up from the dishes she was diligently scrubbing and glared into Jerome's face. "Don't you dare," she hissed, her eyes widening in warning. So Jerome dropped it, and set about towel drying the dishes in the wrack. Yet, once Jerome had finished drying, his chore for the day done, he found a note slipped into the pocket of his uniform. It was unnerving how easily Amber managed to move things while remaining in plain sight.

Approximately three weeks ago, Amber had slipped a scrap of paper into Jerome's French workbook: a note scrawled in two brief lines and a signature. This was mildly odd because, until that moment, Jerome could not think of another time Amber had actually interacted with him in any sort of direct way. He had teased her, as he did everyone, and she had complained, as everyone did. Although more loudly on her part.

In the weeks that followed the first note, Jerome had witnessed things he never would have imagined. There were outpourings of emotion and confessions of insecurity on both their parts, and an understanding had risen between them. In actuality, they were using one another, and they both knew it. The arrangement had remained all the same.

This new note was written on a scrap of newspaper, undoubtedly pilfered from the kitchen recycling bin. In Amber's trademark pink ink were dashed out the words: "Laundry at eleven, A."

At ten past eleven, Amber stood shivering slightly in the laundry room. It was after lights out, but it was rarely an issue to sneak away from one's room after Victor retired to bed at 10:35 precisely each evening. And were Trudy to find Amber out of bed it was likely she would smile affectionately, recommend beauty rest, and leave before she could witness anything that would require her to report a student to Victor.

It was only getting later, though, and Amber's patience was wearing thin. Where was Jerome when she wanted him? _Probably fallen asleep_, she sighed to herself. _Might as well turn in._ But as she was extricating herself from semi-concealment between the wall and the washing machine the doorknob turned.

"Ambs?" came an exaggerated whisper from the doorway. A small thread of light shown through from the hall beyond the kitchen.

"Thank goodness. I was just going to go back to bed." Amber came forward and met Jerome in the dark. She slumped her head against his chest and wrapped her arms loosely about his waist. He stood impassive a moment before allowing himself to return the blonde's embrace. His fingers knit themselves into her long, silky hair.

"What is it, Ambs? Why do you need me?" His voice seemed softer in the dark, and Amber reflexively relaxed further, placing the majority of her weight on him. She didn't know why she trusted him, but somehow she did.

"I have delicate skin," she began evasively. This was her way. Start with something trivial, nonsensical even, and work her way into the heart of the issue. "It takes so much effort to take care of it."

Jerome disengaged himself from their embrace and placed his hands on Amber's shoulders, holding her at arms length. "If you kept me up to complain about your ridiculous beauty regimen, I swear..."

"All I am is a pretty face, Jerome." Amber looked directly into his eyes, searching for a sign of understanding. It was difficult to look at him most of the time. Seeing him head-on forced her to recognize that she was unburdening herself at his expense, using him. "All anyone sees is that I'm pretty, and no one cares that I'm making good marks in all my classes, or that I'm trying so hard to do good things, or that it's hard to be this way. No one cares! Mick didn't! Alfie doesn't! Goody-two-shoes _Nina_ doesn't! No one cares!" Her gaze dropped.

"That's just how life is. It's unfair."

"But I'm working so _hard_..." Amber's voice broke as she forced herself not to cry. She could feel Jerome's discomfort growing and she would not cry. She allowed the edge of anger to creep into her, evening out the anguish in her voice.

"Alfie and I are breaking up."

Jerome's hands dropped away entirely. "What?"

"We're breaking up. I'm ending it."

He took a step back. "Hasn't he been telling you it wasn't working for days?"

"Yes, but I wasn't ready to give up control. He's right though. It's no good. It was never really any good." She heard Jerome back into a hamper. The anger was rising in her throat. "And I'm not telling you this because I'm scheming to make you my next boy-toy, so relax."

A sheepish "oh" moved back toward her in the dark and she rolled her eyes for no one to see. "Sorry," he offered.

Amber sat down, leaning against the clothes dryer. She could almost hear Jerome's thoughts working to process their interaction. Why had she expected anything else from him? They were each master manipulators, so it only made sense that Jerome would assume she was working him into a plan.

She reached out to find his hand in the darkened room. "Although it's not an entirely horrid idea, pretending to date you." Finding it, she squeezed his index and long fingers. "No, I guess it is. There's no way we could pull it off. No one would believe us."

Jerome lowered himself to sit beside her. "Especially because I would deny it at every opening."

"Jerome? Do you think I'm pretty?"

"I..." He was caught off guard. He knew he had to tread carefully here, sure she was testing him. "I think you are probably quite attractive, however, I would never date you. But!, but, let me finish here before you throw a fit- " her grip had tightened around his hand, crushing his fingers, "I would never date anyone from Anubis House ever again. So, don't take it personally!"

"What do you mean 'again'?" She was still shivering slightly, despite the heat of her annoyance, and looped her arm through Jerome's to pull his body heat closer.

"If you don't remember, I am _not_ going to remind you." Amber could practically hear the look on his face in the dark. She let her head lean against his shoulder.

"Do you mean that thing with Patricia? I didn't realize you were dating." He was stiff and uncomfortable to lean against, but he was quite warm. He kept squirming.

"That's because she denied it to everyone as soon as Joy had given her tuppence worth. Trish couldn't do anything without running it by Joy first. What a cow."

"Don't be mean, Jerome... Although, she was rather a bitch." She tried to snuggle in closer, but he was still resisting.

"Amber, are you trying to cuddle me?" He finally demanded, and in attempt to pull focus away from his brief, failed romance.

"No," was her stubborn reply.

"Really? Because it _really_ feels like you are."

"I'm just cold, that's all."

"Well, then maybe you should go back upstairs. Because I draw the line at cuddling."

"You're probably right." Jerome stood and pulled Amber off the floor after him. She peaked her head into the kitchen, listening for the sound of others awake in the night. Before parting ways in the hall, she whispered, "Were you in love with her? Patricia?"

Jerome's face went blank, as if he were attempting to remember a long forgotten something. "I thought I did, but I was wrong." Amber smiled a weak smile, feeling as though she knew exactly what he'd meant by that. "Ambs, please break up with Alfie tomorrow. I won't be able to stand knowing when he doesn't. And it obviously has to come from you."

He was loyal even if he was keeping secrets from his so-called "best friend." She was heartened by that, somehow. "Okay," she nodded vigorously in the dark.

"Promise?"

"I solemnly swear," she raised her hand to her heart in oath. Another weak smile parted them, and Amber ascended the stairs to the girls' hallway.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you for your time. If you feel so inclined, please review or send a pm. I appreciate any and all feedback. Sincerely, the PuffleHuff  
><strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

Jerome hadn't anticipated how cold it would be in the girls' hall. It was such an old, drafty house, though, that he shouldn't have been surprised. He didn't understand how their school got away with housing students in such an old, run down, _creepy_ house. Apparently the comfort and convenience of wealthy family castoffs was not as high a priority as perfect test scores and impressive university applications. He wished he'd worn his bathrobe.

He tapped lightly on Amber's dorm room door and prayed Nina had already slipped down to Fabian's room. According to Amber, ever since Mick had transferred to Australia, Nina had been sneaking out to spend nights with the bookish Fabian. How a guy like him wound up with the seemingly perfect American scholarship student, Jerome could not fathom.

No answer came, so he rapped a bit louder. Nothing. He was about to knock again when Amber's irritated face appeared in the doorway. "Shut up and get in," she hissed before Jerome even spoke.

"Cheers to you, too, Ambs," he muttered as the door closed across the threshold behind him.

"What was that?" Amber snapped, whirling on him with a fury comical in juxtaposition to the unicorns prancing across her night shirt.

"Nothing, Ambs. I'd hate to trouble you with anything as trivial as my musings."

"Huh? Are you making fun of me, _Gerbil_?" She'd adopted the hated nickname Jerome's younger sister, Poppy, had given him. As much as he reviled it, his face broke into a wide grin.

"No, Ambs. I'm not making fun of you. I _am_ making fun of your pajamas, though."

Her eyes dropped to the mythical beasts on her shirt and she quickly crossed her arms over her chest. "My grandmother sent these to me. She seems to think I'm still seven." A healthy blush had bloomed on Amber's face, but she met his smile with her own, irritation melting away. "Embarrassing, huh?"

"Yeah. At least you have a grandmother to forget how old you are. I've never met my dad's parents, and my mom's are both dead." Jerome settled himself on the end of Amber's bed and glanced about the room she shared with Nina. It was disturbingly pink, but surprisingly more so on Nina's side than Amber's.

"I'm sorry, Jerome," Amber offered sympathetically, settling opposite him.

"It's okay, really. I wouldn't know what to do with grandparents. I mean, you can't very well hide a whoopy-cushion in your grandmother's kitchen, can you? That's like, senior abuse or something."

"How like you, Jerome. Always good for a joke." Amber nudged his knee with her foot and raised her eyebrows his way.

"Yeah, I guess that's me. Good for a joke."

"Don't sound so put upon. What do you expect? That's how people know you. That's what you give them."

"I know, it's true. I wish I could figure out how not to make everything a joke. It's too strange to cope any other way, now." His hands in his lap seemed to be wildly intriguing at that moment.

This was a change. Amber wasn't sure what to make of emotionally deep and introspective Jerome. She wondered if this was how he felt when she blathered on about only being prized for a pretty face. It was becoming clear that they shared more in common than either had initially thought.

"But we're teenagers, right?" he continued. "Life is supposed to be infuriatingly complicated for us, isn't it." He looked up from his hands, and gave Amber a hopeful look.

"Right," she agreed, nudging him again playfully.

"Amber," his eyes were suddenly intense. "Why did you write that first note?" He was ready for the stock answer, and he got it.

"I don't know, Jerome. I really don't."

He rolled his eyes, but accepted it. "Well, whatever it was, I thank god for it."

"What?"

Jerome was staring at her with the goofiest smile on his face, and it was kind of freaking Amber out. "As much as I totally do _not_ understand you, Amber Millington, I thank god for you every day. Now I know that at least one person in this god forsaken place knows me as something besides the prankster asshole. Thank you."

Amber laughed. "Of course, Jerome." She paused as if in thought. "Maybe that's why. Because I can't stand being the pretty, ditzy, blonde one. And Alfie didn't get that. But you know better. You know more of me than anybody else here. I think that's what I needed."

"We both needed it. Mind, my secrets die with you. Got it?"

"Got it. Likewise."

They shared a quiet, comfortable pause together, sitting at their opposite ends of the bed. The light of the bedside table lamp illuminated Amber's face, and those dumb unicorn pajamas, in a way that reminded Jerome of being a little kid. When having pajamas and bedsheets with his favorite superheros had still been acceptable.

"Thank you, Jerome." Her voice stirred him from his reminisce. She held her arms open to him.

"Thank you, Amber." He smiled and crawled up the bed where Amber met him with a lopsided hug. He could feel her giggle against his shoulder while they held each other. It was comfortable and safe here, where the secrets they kept were fewer.

He let her go, but she curled into his side, keeping him from retreating back to his end of the bed. There should have been some kind of awkward tension in the gesture, but there really wasn't. Whether it were because of their mutual fatigue, or out of some deeper, inexplicable camaraderie, it was a perfect arrangement. They easily succumbed to dreaming, with all the world forgotten outside the door.

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><p><strong>AN:**_ Shorter. Sweeter too, maybe? As always, please feel free to review or PM with your feedback, criticism, or thoughts. Sincerely, the PuffleHuff_


	4. Sore Winner

"Yes?"_  
>plonk<em>  
>"No."<em><br>pa-link_  
>"No?"<em><br>ponk_  
>"<em>Yes<em>."_  
>pling-onk<em>  
>"Yes?"<em><br>pong_  
>"<span>No<span>."_  
>plink<em>

"Do we have any idea what they're arguing about?" Fabian asked as he flopped next to Mara on the sofa in the student lounge.

"Not a clue." Mara briefly looked up from her chemistry textbook to follow the passage of the white ball, back and forth between Amber and Jerome's paddles. "I believe this is the longest table tennis match I've ever witnessed, though." She returned to her reading.

Nina sidled in beside Fabian, the sofa becoming somewhat crowded. When Nina started whispering into Fabian's neck, and Fabian giggled in response, Mara decided the student lounge wasn't the greatest place to be studying and left, throwing a dirty look at Fabian as she went.

"But why not?"_  
>plong<em>  
>"<span>No<span>."_  
>ka-plunk<em>

"What are they fighting about?" Nina asked after she'd finished doing whatever it was that was making Fabian giggle like a little girl.

"We have no idea. They've just been back and forth like that for at least the last ten minutes."

"Weird. I didn't realize ping-pong was so big here." Nina's eyes trailed the ball back and forth.

"Me neither," Fabian murmured, transfixed as well. Finally he roused himself from the spell of _plonks_. "You wanna get out of here?"

Nina met his gaze with a grin and nodded. They gathered their bags and followed another group of students out of the lounge, leaving Amber and Jerome to their match.

"You're seriously not going to tell me?" Jerome persisted, exasperated._  
>plunk<em>  
>"Nope."<em><br>pa-swish_

The ball bounced and sailed over Jerome's shoulder as he rolled his eyes at Amber's stubbornness.

"Yes!" Amber thrust her fists triumphantly into the air, garnering another eye-roll from Jerome.

"You play a mean game, Millington. Good one." He offered his hand but Amber just stared at it. "You slap it. Like this." He gestured, imitating the action of an elaborate secret handshake before offering his hand again.

Amber continued to stare while shaking her fists and hips. Jerome instead raised his hand straight up and in front of himself. "How about a high five?"

Amber smiled widely, limply slapping Jerome's outstretched hand.

"High five!" she laughed, stabbing her finger into the air between them.

"You're such a sore winner, Ambs..." Jerome grumbled, shuffling from the room as the bell rang.

She ignored him, though, instead choosing a spinning-sort of victory dance as she followed him out.

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><p><strong>AN:** _Obviously loosely inspired by the more recent episodes of HOA (I can't quite remember which specifically, since I watch them online a few at a time after they air). Thank you for reading! _


	5. Chapter 5

Sometimes the only way Jerome could get through the day was to get out. He'd wander into the woods behind Anubis House and climb a tree. He had made the mistake, _No, the choice_, he mentally corrected himself, of bringing Amber with him on a few occasions. She had a tendency to get stuck, and had to be coached down from the branches over a prolonged space of time. Thankfully, today had not been one of those days.

Jerome had scrambled his way into the topmost branches of a linden alone, and determined to avoid everyone until dinner.

He wasn't particularly happy. His younger sister, Poppy, had been pestering him to enter a table tennis tournament so that she would have an excuse to get off campus. Jerome was a decent player, and he and Amber had taken to challenging each other during free periods as their only form of public interaction. But he had no desire to turn a passing hobby into a reputation as a competitor. Even less did he want to give Poppy any more opportunity to get into trouble off campus than was already afforded her by semi-weekly visits to their father. Poppy was very much like Jerome in all the worst possible ways, and Jerome was beginning to regret passing on such methods of steeling oneself against the world.

She'd become kind of a bitch.

And Jerome felt bad for thinking her one. But when it came down to it, Jerome's whole family - himself included - were some of the most dysfunctional people he'd ever had the misfortune of knowing. Or not knowing. After all, he'd been in boarding schools since the age of nine, and his father had been imprisoned off and on since the time Jerome was six. It was all so strange, this being teenaged thing. _But this is the way I'm supposed to feel. Isn't it?_, he mused.

Jerome labored under the impression that he was meant to still be heartbroken over his rejection by Patricia, his lack of strong parent figures, and the cold world of boarding school survival. But he was beginning to question this. Through his secret interactions with Amber over the last several weeks, he had come to know that he was not alone in the despair that was being a teenager. Yet he had also begun to see that it need not necessarily be this way. He need not be bound by the inadequacies of others. He had formed a friendship with the girl that gave him hope that the whole world wasn't populated by idiots.

_Everyone just pretends they are out of fear_, he thought bitterly. _Idiots, I mean_.

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><p>Jerome's thoughts had wandered dangerously into the territory of speculation, specifically over the nature of Nina and Fabian's relationship, when he realized he was hearing footsteps in the underbrush. Whoever was wandering about hadn't worn sensible shoes.<p>

"Jerome?" Amber called out somewhere further on into the trees. Most likely she had cut into the woods behind the school's main building and was angling towards the house.

Jerome debated letting her pass by without making himself known, but decided against it. Dinner would be served soon anyway, and he'd feel guilty if Amber got herself lost looking for him. He climbed down, brushed off, and aimed for Amber's cacophonous footsteps.

"Jer- oh!" Amber stumbled into him on wobbly heals. Jerome caught her by the arm but rolled his eyes reflexively all the same.

"You wear the dumbest shoes," he couldn't help but mutter.

"Yeah? Well! You wear the dumbest... face." Her comebacks needed work. He noted that as well as inappropriate shoes and one falling knee sock, Amber had a few twigs in her hair and was in danger of losing her uniform blazer out of the open bag on her shoulder.

"Nice one. I'm hurt. Also, you have tree in your hair."

Amber's hands flew to her hair, brushing and picking at mostly the wrong places, fingers combing through tangles she was simultaneously creating. Jerome made wide eyes and a stern face at her - his way of asking permission - before plucking the loose bits of twig from her silver-blonde locks.

"Thanks," she offered, self-consciously running a smoothing hand over her hair once more.

"So, was there something you wanted? Or just in the mood to break an ankle in those things?" He motioned towards her precarious footwear.

"Not really. I was studying in the library when I realized it was almost dinner time. And you had that look all day, so I figured you'd be out here somewhere. Just thought I'd call you in."

"What look?"

"That 'I-hate-the-world-and-all-its-fatuous-population' look," she stated matter-of-factually.

"Fatuous, eh? Big word, Ambs," he mocked her.

"Oh, grow up!" She turned to stomp off dramatically but managed mostly to look even more ridiculous in her high healed shoes, fumbling her book bag.

"Stop, stop! You really are going to break something, all over your bruised ego. Come here." Jerome charged Amber to come to him, yet walked toward her as he did so. He turned his back to her and bade her jump onto him as if she were a child demanding a piggyback. "Come on, I'll carry you out."

Amber hesitated. She and Jerome had become comfortable huggers, and he sometimes allowed her to hold his hand. She had even fallen asleep against him on one or two occasions despite his protests against cuddling. But this seemed somehow different, odd. He was making a kind gesture, as he had been doing more and more often, but for some reason Amber just wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Are you sure?" she asked, uncertainty painting her tone.

"Yes, yes." He was growing impatient. She rearranged her blazer and bag, grabbed hold of Jerome's shoulders, scrunched her eyes shut, and hopped. "Good lord, you're heavy!" he joked, and received a weak slap across the back of the head.

Jerome trudged slowly and carefully, doing his best not to jostle Amber against him too much. She'd taken up a strangle hold around his neck, and was clinging with such force in her legs he could only assume she was terrified. "If you keep squeezing I'm going to pass out, Amber," he spoke mostly to her elbow. "Hold on, but relax. I'm not going to drop you."

"But I feel like I'm falling," she whined just behind his ear, causing a creepy-crawling feeling to rise on the back of Jerome's neck.

"Hold on and I'll bounce you up again." Jerome heard a forced inhalation and exhalation, felt Amber reorganize her arms about his shoulders, and then shifted her weight higher through an awkward bounce-hop movement. He clasped her legs above and behind her knees, tucking his own elbows in beside him to brace her up. He recognized that he was holding an awful lot of bare thigh, but stifled any uncomfortableness in favor of not dropping the girl.

It was a good thing she couldn't see his face, because Jerome was pretty sure he was blushing.

_Thank god he can't see me blush_, Amber thought to herself. She felt more than a little vulnerable, pressed into Jerome's back, his hands on her bare legs. _It's not a big deal, it's really not_, she attempted to convince herself. She still grasped him tightly, but was making an effort not to strangle him, no matter how unsteady she felt. With her higher on his back, Jerome had leaned forward and was moving faster through the trees and brush, but it was clear that it was still difficult going while carrying her on his back. Amber forced her mind and trained her eyes on everything directly in front of them in order to stay calm.

"Do I really have an 'I-hate-the-world' look?" Jerome's question startled her, and losing concentration on the trees, the reality of Jerome pressed against her collapsed back on Amber's thoughts.

"It seems that way to me, yeah. You have a lot of looks."

"I do?" Both of their blushes returned, unseen by the other. Amber made some non-committal stuttering sounds as she realized she had effectively just admitted to paying a lot of attention to Jerome's facial expressions. And in turn, Jerome's hands against Amber's legs suddenly felt quite a lot warmer than before. Now it really was awkward.

There was no going back, so Amber decided to pretend like her observation of him was nothing, a passing distraction in class. "Yeah, I mean... especially in chemistry. You get this look like Mr. Sweet's voice is the most irritating thing in the world. Which is understandable, since it pretty much is. He lectures directly from the book, did you notice? I usually just put headphones in and read the chapter while he's talking." She hoped her change of subject had been subtle and her voice even enough not to betray the embarrassment she was currently feeling, but her fingers were digging more deeply into Jerome's shoulder.

The truth was, Amber found herself spacing out on Jerome's face in class a lot recently. It was probably because of this arrangement they had. It only happened on days when she had something in particular she wanted to vent to him about. Or, at least that's what she told herself.

Jerome agreed, "Mr. Sweet is the most irritating teacher. He's a perfectly decent person, just an awful choice for chemistry instruction." Amber nodded, not trusting herself to speak again. Jerome felt her whole body bob with the gesture.

They let a quiet fall between them again, the snap and crunch of Jerome's footfalls and the evening song of birds their only soundtrack. Jerome slowed and paused near the treeline. "You'll have to go yourself from here. I'm not going to risk carrying you to the door." He unbridled his hands of Amber's legs and straightened, forcing her to relinquish her grip and slide to the ground. He was making it clear that their agreement was understood, that she needn't bother warning him off.

"I suppose..." she began, but in attempting to meet his eyes did not continue. It was sometimes so difficult to look him in the face and see her own secrets looking back. Her eyes flickered up again as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder, but she turned abruptly away towards the house, a blush still burning across her face.

Jerome watched her go, noting the red imprint of his hands when she bent to fix her knee socks. He waited until he saw Amber cross the threshold into Anubis House before setting off after her.

* * *

><p>Amber dashed up the stairs before anyone could catch her attention, threw open the girls' hall door, and stumbled into the room she shared with Nina. Slamming their door behind her, she slid to the floor. She felt unusually flushed and out of breath. Her head was swimming and she felt as if she might even cry. <em>What's wrong with you?<em>, she thought angrily. She worked to control her breathing, regulating and calming herself before standing up.

Shrugging out of her uniform and pulling on fresh clothes, Amber caught a glimpse of the red impressions of hands and arms on her skin in the full-length mirror. The sight caused her to pause. She stared down over her own shoulder at the reflection, then met her eyes in the glass. She smiled rabidly at herself and returned to tugging on leggings.

Now dressed, she turned once more to the mirror and met a frown. "What are you playing at, Millington?" she sighed, and slunk from the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ A new direction, perhaps? Am I just totally confusing everyone at this point? Well, I'm confused too, so don't worry. As always, please feel free to send reviews, pms, feedback, etc. Thank you for reading!  
>UPDATE, 215/2012: As was graciously pointed out to me, on the English language version of the show, Jerome states he has been in boarding schools since the age of five. I used some poetic license in saying he'd been boarding since the age of nine. This is because I want a more realistic relationship for Jerome and Poppy than one based around - in Poppy's case - a lifetime of summer breaks. And, imagining Poppy to be 3-5 yrs younger than Jerome, it seemed to me that they required somewhat more childhood time together. This is an AU fan effort anyway, so there're sure to be inconsistencies. But I thought I would explain this for those who are more aware of the cannon and my inaccuracies. Thank you!  
><em>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**_ My apologies for the delay in posting. I got a little behind in my classwork this past week, and also had some job interviews over the weekend, so my writing times were irregular. It's a longer segment this time, though! Thank you for reading on.  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Why won't you sign up for the tournament? Today's the last day to sign up!" Poppy demanded. She'd finally cornered her brother as he exited his history class.<p>

"Get out of the way, Poopy." Jerome attempted to shove past her, but Poppy clung to his arm and dragged her feet, slowing him down.

"Are you _determined_ to ruin my life, or what?"

He whirled on her, staring her down. "It's table tennis! What is _so flipping _important about ping-pong?" Poppy tried to stare back, but it was clear she was having a hard time meeting her brother's eye.

"It just _is_, okay?"

"Not good enough." He shoved past her again.

"Gerbil!" She shrieked, causing passersby to turn and gape, and getting Jerome to come shut her up. Master manipulator.

"Keep it down!," he shushed, clasping a hand over her mouth. "What's _actually_ going on? Why do you want this so badly?"

Poppy's face went red, but it was clear she wasn't going to get her way, so she spilled. "I-have-to-go-to-the-tournament-" deep breath - "because-Sammy-is-going-to-meet-me-there, and-I-said-I'd-be-there!"

"Wait, wait. Who's Sammy? And why are you meeting him at a table tennis tournament?" Jerome 's instincts were kicking him into over-protective brother mode.

"He's this guy..."

"Right..." Jerome continued to stare his kid sister down, watching her squirm under his gaze as she confessed.

"...that I've been chatting with... online?" Poppy gave him her best puppy dog eyes and sympathy grin.

"Poppy, this is ridiculous. Do you even know who this guy is? He could be some creep!"

"He's not! He's so nice!"

Jerome was shaking his head in disappointment. "There is no way you're going. Absolutely out of the question!" This time Jerome succeeded in walking away, ignoring his sister as she called after him.

* * *

><p>When Jerome stormed through the entryway of the old house, he'd had half a mind to call his mother straight away to voice his concerns about Poppy. Somehow it never happened. He'd walked into a scene of chaos.<p>

Trudy stood in the middle of the front hall, splattered with some sickeningly dark stains, trying to calm the cluster of Anubis House boarders gathered around her. Nina was sobbing while Fabian wrapped a protective arm around her. Mara looked shocked, but more composed than anyone else. Patrica looked like maybe she was about to be sick. Victor, Alfie, and Amber, the rest of the Anubis House residents, were absent.

"But what's going to happen?" Mara asked the room at large.

"We're not sure. Victor will call and let me know as soon as they've found an answer. Not to worry. It's a good thing Nina was with her, the paramedic said. Everything happened quickly, so it should all be alright. Okay?" Trudy looked from face to face with a reassuring smile, but her wide eyes betrayed her anxiety. A terrible feeling was knotting itself in Jerome's stomach.

"Sorry, what's going on?"

"Oh Jerome, good," the conflicted smile turned on him. "Have you seen Alfie?"

"He's still at school. Detention. What's going on?" Trudy was moving toward him now, and Jerome could clearly see that the dark stains on her shirt were, in fact, blood.

"Nothing to worry about. Amber's just had a bit of an accident, we think. A complication of her condition. The ambulance took her to the hospital, and Victor is with her now. Everything is going to be okay." She wrapped him in what was attempting to be an one-armed, comforting hug, and Nina's sobs intensified.

It seemed like Nina may have mumbled "I should have stayed" into Fabian's chest, but Jerome wasn't really sure. He wasn't really sure of anything. He felt like he needed to sit down, so he did. Straight onto the floor.

"Jerome!" Trudy and Mara exclaimed together, rushing to help him back to his feet.

"Alright now," Trudy addressed the group. "Let's all come in to the table and we'll have a sit down and something to drink. Yes? Good."

Fabian lead Nina, Mara supported Jerome, and Trudy rushed ahead of everyone to prepare something distracting. Patricia followed slowly behind with the same sick look on her face.

Trudy made them all sit and drink a full glass of water, and encouraged them to eat some snacks she brought from the kitchen. After a few minutes of awkward silence she seemed to remember that she was spattered with someone else's bodily fluid and hurriedly set to dabbing the stains with a damp dishcloth. When this did nothing for her shirt, Jerome could almost see a flashbulb light up over Trudy's head.

"Fabian, would you keep an eye on Nina down here, please? I'm just going to go up and take care of the room. Mara? Patricia? I think you had better stay down here until I'm finished, too." She made for the door.

"Jerome?" she turned in afterthought, but Jerome had been staring blankly since the front hall. Trudy smiled weakly once more, and left.

Jerome's mind was racing, attempting to pick out missed details, clues in his memory. Trudy had used a bunch of words he suddenly didn't understand. An accident? Condition? Hospital?

Once Trudy had left, Patricia pulled out her mobile phone and began texting. Jerome assumed she was communicating with Joy about the house drama. She wasn't very close to anyone in Anubis House since Joy had left school the prior term, so maybe this was how she dealt with the sick feeling in her stomach.

Mara was sitting beside Jerome, and lay a comforting hand over his on the table. "Jerome? Are you okay?" He blinked hard and turned to face her.

"What's going on? I don't understand..."

"Well, it's like Trudy says. Something happened, and... they took Amber to the hospital..." Her expression was earnest, but it was clear she didn't really have any more information than Jerome.

"She has a medical condition." Nina had extricated herself from Fabian's shoulder and spoke softly across the table, commanding everyone's attention. "Some kind of issue with her stomach, I guess? I only knew because we're roommates. No one thought it would get bad... But today, when we got back to the room she said she felt sick, and... Then all of a sudden she was vomiting blood."

"Oh god, don't say that word!" Patricia rushed from the room with her hand over her mouth. Everyone blanched.

Internally, Jerome was questioning every interaction with Amber he'd had since the arrival of the first note. "_I need your help,_" it had read. With what? Had this been what Amber felt he could help her with? Why hadn't she told him – out of all the things they'd shared – about this? Was this the one secret she had been holding back for weeks? What's more, was this part of what had come between Amber and Alfie?

His thoughts were running everywhere and made no sense. He wanted answers. He gathered himself up to go find Trudy.

"Jerome, are you alright?" Mara asked, concern coloring her voice.

"Yeah, fine. I just need to lie down a minute," he lied easily.

"Do you want me to walk with you?"

"No, I'll be alright." He grasped the strap of his bag tightly and walked with careful steadiness from the room.

* * *

><p>In the end, Jerome did, in fact, go first to the room he shared with Alfie, who remained absent, stuck in detention. He dropped his satchel and stripped away his cardigan before turning to observe himself in the mirror. His eyes were wide and his brow knit into an expression of anxious confusion he couldn't seem to will away. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair, inhaling and exhaling carefully, attempting to quiet his mind.<p>

He slipped upstairs and into the girls' corridor. The door to the room Amber and Nina shared stood ajar, and Jerome knocked lightly upon it.

"Trudy?"

Her arms clad to the elbow in rubber gloves, Trudy knelt over a waste bin and applied a disinfectant to the floor. She turned in mild surprise to find Jerome standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Jerome. What are you doing up here? You should be down with the others." Her voice was strained with cheeriness, but her eyes looked tired and afraid.

"Can I help?" He stepped forward with an open-palmed gesture.

"Thank you for offering, Jerome, but no. The school has strict guidelines about cleaning up after these sorts of incidents. And anyway, I'm done." Struggling to her feet, she pealed off the gloves, carefully pulling them inside-out as she did, and discarded them into the bin on the floor. As she wobbled upon standing, Jerome caught hold of her elbow to steady her.

"Thank you," she looked sadly into his face.

"She's going to be alright, isn't she?"

A soft nod. "I believe so. The doctors'll patch her up, good as new." Trudy stooped to pick up the waste bin by the handles on the side, and began to head out of the room. Jerome followed.

"Can I see her?"

Trudy turned on him, genuine surprise painting her expression this time, over the general weariness. She took him in from top to toe, appraising each detail of his posture and face. Jerome didn't know what she was looking for, but her sad smile returned.

"She won't be allowed visitors for a while yet." She patted his arm before turning away to take her load downstairs.

It was basically the answer Jerome had expected, but it wasn't an outright 'No.'

Sighing, he returned to his room, where he pulled off the rest of his uniform and tugged on his most comfortable and well-worn trousers. His mind was still working overtime, but in the background. Now, he just felt wiped out from the shock of things, and fell flat on his bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling.

* * *

><p>At some point, Alfie had returned to the room and rambled in a distraught manner. Obviously he'd been told what had happened. But Jerome ignored him, and Alfie eventually went out again. Mara came to call him for dinner, but he didn't go. He simply lay still, chasing thoughts around until sleep finally overtook him.<p>

It was mostly dark, and Jerome could hear Alfie snoring lightly from the other side of the room. Trudy stood over Jerome with some sort of electric lantern, rousing him from his sleep with a hand on his shoulder. He blinked blearily up at her.

"Jerome? Would you like to come with me?" she whispered in the darkened room.

He sat straight up and nodded.

"Put on your things, and I'll meet you in the hall."

Hastily, Jerome pulled a sweater over his white undershirt and slipped into a pair of paddock boots.

He could just hear the end of a conversation between Victor and Trudy as he made his way toward the front door. There came the sound of Victor's footfalls on the stairs, followed by the click of his office door. When she saw him, Trudy wrapped an arm about Jerome's shoulders and lead him out to her car in the side car park.

Trudy's attempts at small talk were next to atrocious, and even if there hadn't been a mass of writhing anxiety in his stomach Jerome would have been afraid to answer her questions.

"I let Nina stay in Fabian's room. She's got herself so worked up. It seemed alright. I know their dating now, but do you think they're... fooling around?"

"Uh... No?"

"I can't really imagine they are. I don't like to think of any of you kids getting mixed up in that sort of thing. All so innocent. Fabian just seems too _studious_ to be interested in that sort of thing..."

"Nmmmyes?"

Thankfully, it wasn't very far between the school and the hospital. Absently, Jerome wondered if the placement of their school so near the hospital weren't on purpose. Kids were bound to injure themselves, after all.

* * *

><p>Once inside, Trudy gave Jerome the room number and directed him down a hall before going to speak with someone at the nurses' station. Amber's room was mostly dark, with the small lights of machines and a generic lamp glowing weakly on the bedside table. Everything looked eerie. He hated hospitals.<p>

Amber lay propped in a mechanical bed with wires and tubes seeming to sprout from everywhere. Her long blonde hair lay in mats upon the pillows. Nasal cannula emerged from her nose, and the pipeline of oxygen ran over her pale cheeks, behind her ears, and away into a whirring machine ensconced in the wall. A bag of blood hung from a stand affixed to the bed frame, and was connected to her arm via a complex looking arrangement of plastic and needle. Gauze had been taped over the hollow of her neck, evidence of a tracheostomy. A nurse had been exiting the room as Jerome had made his way down the hall, and there was no evidence of any other visitors. He pulled a chair away from the wall and sat beside the dozing blonde.

Now that he could see her, Jerome realized he hadn't really been expecting this. He'd either imagined her as a paler version of herself, or dead. Seeing Amber entangled in this collection of man-made devices was almost worse than thinking she would die. He wanted to take her hand. He wanted to pull away all the tubing and carry her back to school. He wanted to hear her make fun of him while she wore her pink dish-washing gloves. He wanted to see her stuck up a tree. He wanted to watch her run up and down the stairs in a rotating wardrobe of dresses before a party. He wanted to see her anywhere but here. He _hated_ seeing her here.

Jerome was afraid to touch her, scared he might somehow break her. All the same, he convinced himself to carefully take her hand in his. He traced the dark veins beneath her delicate white skin and she stirred. A humming sort of noise issued from her throat, and he looked up, meeting her blue-green eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry," he apologized, but she shook her head ever so slightly. Amber tugged his hand as if to beckon him forward and Jerome obliged, leaning in. When he was close, though, she did not speak but raised her free hand to his hair and smiled.

His eyes involuntarily shut as she laced her fingers through his disheveled mop. He hadn't thought to run a brush through his hair before he'd rushed away, and must have looked unsightly. "S'getting shaggy again."

Her usually clear, confident voice had become an half-slurred sort of croak that devastated what was left of Jerome's resolve. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, but he smiled at her comment nonetheless. "I know," he whispered, running his own hand over it once she'd released him. He looked her in the face, searching for answers to his unasked questions. "Ambs..." She looked so delicate when she nodded for him to continue. "Ambs, why didn't you tell me?" A tear escaped, sliding down Jerome's cheek. "Is this the secret? Is this why you picked me?"

Amber's mouth opened, but no words came forth, and it closed again. That humming sound rose out of her throat, and she made a noncommittal sort of head gesture against the pillows. "S'complicated. I dunno..." Typically evasive, even from her hospital bed. Jerome just shook his head, clutching at her hand with both of his now.

"Ambs... Don't do this to me." His tears were falling freely now, and he lent over to wipe his cheeks against the sleeves of his sweater, never letting go her hand.

There was a commotion of voices outside the room. Amber squeezed his thumbs insistently to get him to raise his head. She smiled, looked straight into his eyes, and offered: "Soon as I'm home. Promise." She nodded encouragingly then pointedly transferred her sight-line to the door. Jerome could hear Trudy's voice entering the small space, and dropped his hands to his lap.

A doctor, a nurse, Trudy, and an elderly woman filed into the room. Jerome hopped up and offered the seat to the woman he didn't recognize but whom he assumed was Amber's grandmother. The doctor was rattling off technical terms, which Trudy struggled to understand, while the nurse made notes on her clipboard. The old woman sat smiling and took the hand Jerome had just relinquished.

Jerome backed himself into the corner and waited, listening to everything but understanding very little. Then the doctor and nurse left, and Trudy exchanged words with Amber's grandmother.

"Would you like me to stay, Mrs. Millington?" The old woman smiled up at Trudy, and ventured a glance at Jerome in the corner.

"No, no dear. We'll be alright. Won't we, Amber? And Arthur'll be here by morning, I'm sure."

"Alright. Well, if you need anything, the school's just down the road. I'd be happy to help in any way I can."

"Thank you, Trudy."

"Feel better, Amber," Trudy offered before gesturing for Jerome to follow her out. At the door he turned for a last glimpse and had to suppress a shutter.

"Bye, Amber."

Amber and her grandmother both smiled after him.

* * *

><p>The car ride back to campus was no less awkward. Jerome was fairly certain Trudy could sense he had been crying before she'd come into the hospital room.<p>

"Trudy?"

"Yes, Jerome?" She smiled sideways at him, but kept her sight on the road.

"Could you please not tell anyone about this?"

"Of course. And you'd better not either, or I'll lose my job! Taking students off campus in the middle of the night is 'strictly for-bidden.'" Trudy did her best impersonation of the school's headmaster, Mr. Sweet, which wasn't a very good one.

"Right... But, about the... crying?"

"Oh, Jerome," her voice was full of compassion. "I know your sentimental at heart. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"Good. Because I have a reputation to uphold," he added for good measure.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_I hope you all don't come to hate me. Dramaramabomb! More will be revealed soon. And perhaps some romance for those who are wishing for it? We'll see!  
>Thank you for reading! As always, feedback, reviews, and concrit are much appreciated.<em>_  
>Update, 224/12: For some reason FF kept taking out the strung together bit from Poppy about meeting a boy at the table tennis tournament. I put in hyphens, and that seems to have fixed it. Sorry for any confusion!  
><em>


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** _Thanks for reading on. More notes at the end of this chapter. 3_

* * *

><p>Jerome felt... uncomfortable. He hadn't spoken to Amber in days, and she was due to return to Anubis House that afternoon. After his nighttime visit to the hospital with Trudy, Jerome had not gone back to see Amber. When the rest of the house and her friends went to deliver flowers and cards the following afternoon he couldn't bring himself to go with them. He couldn't get the image of Amber lying in the hospital bed out of his mind, and it was not an experience he wished to relive. He hated hospitals, and had since he was a child.<p>

His first experience with hospitals, at least as far as he could recall, had been at a very young age. It was one of the rare occasions that Jerome could recall his father being present in the Clarke family household. Jerome's sister, Poppy, had barely begun to crawl when a routine visit to the pediatrician had lead to the revelation of leukemia. This lead to many nights of John or Joan Clarke packing up toddler Jerome to stay with his Great Aunt Imelda while they spent nights at Poppy's bedside. Visiting his Aunt Imelda had remained terrifying even long after his baby sister had made a full recovery.

Jerome had kept a small album of photographs from his childhood with him as he'd traveled from school to school. In it was a picture of him sitting on his father's knee while his mother held a tiny Poppy on a hospital bed. Jerome had pulled the album out from it's hiding place under his bed and retraced the details of that photo as soon as he'd returned with Trudy that night. Amber was obviously older than Poppy had been at the time it was taken, and he was fairly certain cancer had not caused her hospitalization, but the photo was hauntingly similar to the mental image of the bubbly blonde lying in her mechanized hospital bed.

Jerome had looked over that photo a number of times in the past few days, but now carefully replaced the photo album in a corner of his wardrobe before deciding to disappear from Anubis House for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

><p>"Alfie, really, I'm going to be fine. You don't have to worry." Amber sat primly at the foot of Jerome's bed while Alfie paced back and forth across the dorm room in front of her.<p>

"But I _am _so sorry, Amber! I didn't take you seriously, and I should have."

"It's really not your problem, Alfie. We're not together now, and it's not a big deal." If she was being honest she was quite impatient with the clueless boy. She hadn't come to the door to speak to him, but with his roommate. Her gaze was upon the hands in her lap.

"I'll have you back if you like. I can take care of you. Pamper and adore you, just like before," Alfie offered, gesticulating wildly, earnestly searching Amber's face. She sighed before meeting his gaze.

"It's _really_ okay," Amber smiled. "I don't blame you in the slightest. I'll be fine."

"Okay, alright..." The boy seemed to calm down a bit, his circuit of the room slowing. "Well, at least let me do some magic to cheer you up, eh?" He produced a deck of cards with a flourish, grinning widely and waggling his eyebrows.

Amber sighed again, feigned a yawn, then gave Alfie another sympathetic smile. "I really should go back and lie down. You can practice on Jerome and show me later," she hedged. "Where is that twit, anyway?"

* * *

><p>Jerome was in the dressage center, riding off his frustrations and insecurities. It had been a while since he'd been to the stables. Though he was no longer on the school's riding team, Ms. Robinson still allowed him to take out the horses when he felt like riding. He was listening to his mp3 player and running Tuxedo through basic dressage tests, and thus did not immediately notice the audience of one he'd accumulated. It was not until he'd dismounted and was leading the Frisian out that he noticed Amber sitting just inside the west gate. He was utterly unprepared for the sight of her.<p>

Jerome stared a moment before the big horse gave him a nudge and he began to walk on. He plucked out his earbuds, loosed the chinstrap of his helmet, nodded to Amber, and lead Tuxedo back to his stall. Amber followed at a distance, perched herself on an empty stall's gate, and watched Jerome untack the large black beast before releasing him into his stall.

Jerome leaned into the horses nose, rubbing affectionately at his neck and whispered, "Wish me strength, Tux" before turning to address his spectator. He smacked the dust from his gloves across the leg of his jodhpurs and addressed Amber. "Welcome back. You look... better." His eyes glanced up the corridor to a group of eighth graders cleaning tack, but Amber didn't seem to mind that there were people about.

"Thank you, I suppose." A quizzical expression came across her face as she wondered whether the pause in Jerome's compliment were particularly flattering. "You look -" she took in his equestrian attire- "fit."

Jerome made a noncommittal sort of _hmm_, wandered down the corridor, and plucked a carrot from a bucket hung near the tack room door. He was pretending to ignore her, but it was difficult. He broke the carrot into pieces and fed them to Tuxedo from his open palm.

"What were you listening to?" Jerome's eyebrows formed a question mark. Amber nodded toward the mp3 player in his armband. "What's the music?"

"Dubstep?" It came out more like a question than Jerome had meant it to. Amber was still very pale, but her long sleeves and neck scarf hid all evidence of the various medical apparatus she'd been attached to in the hospital. Her lipstick was a little too dark against her lighter shade of pale. She seemed somehow far more delicate than Jerome had ever noticed before.

He offered her a hand down from her somewhat precarious seat. "Dubstep? Really? I've never pictured you as an electronic dance music kind of guy." She accepted his hand. "You seem so top forty."

Jerome screwed up his face in a look of disgust, shaking his head. _Anything but top forty_, he thought to himself. "No way." He held Amber's hand a few moments longer than necessary as he turned away. She dropped his fingers and followed after him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ So, admittedly I'm not super thrilled with this installation. It's mostly back story/filler to get us where we're going next. And I promise to make the next bit more interesting. Also, I wanted to incorporate all the equestrian stuff from Jerome's side of the dorm into the story, but it didn't turn out awesome. In the show, a lot of the stuff looks more like classic polo equipment, but I don't know much of anything about polo, so I made Jerome a dressage rider. It's been a long time since I rode dressage or jumping, and I didn't want to bore people to much, so I didn't get into the details of horse care. Don't put your tack away dirty! There probably aren't eight graders to do it for you!  
>Anyway. Thanks for reading this far. More to come! -the PuffleHuff<br>P.S.- There is a poll regarding the progress of this fic on my profile. Please check it out!  
><em>


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**_Thank you for continuing to read on. I generally don't make suggestions like this, however, there're exceptions to every rule!: This chapter was written while listening exclusively to _Paradise Circus_, by Massive Attack, so if you are so inclined I would recommend pulling it up on Spotify or youtube while you read. More at the end.  
><em>

* * *

><p>They walked close, Amber's sleeve occasionally brushing against Jerome's arm, but without touching skin to skin. It was quiet a few minutes longer as they tread the path between the stables and the school. The opportunity was there, but Amber couldn't bring herself to speak. Her hand prickled as it swept ever closer to Jerome's fingers again. She was awash in conflicting signals and impulses, and couldn't fathom where to begin.<p>

And then there was the fear.

* * *

><p>Amber was tired from spending so much time lying flat in her hospital bed. She wanted to roam around a bit longer, but it was dangerously close to Victor's nightly declaration of lights-out. She was pretending slowly to prepare for bed for Nina's sake. The poor American was giddy with tears and apologies for leaving Amber alone in their room so many nights, and it was beginning to be quite tiresome to reassure her.<p>

Presently, Nina was pulling on her bathrobe and searching for her slippers, protesting that she would gladly stay with Amber and forgo a night with Fabian even as she prepared to sneak away.

"It's really fine, Nina. Go to Fabian. I hear the new transfer is moving in sometime next week, so seize the day while you can. Or the night, rather."

"Thanks Amber," Nina offered her a strangled-looking smile as she stood by the door waiting for Victor's booming voice.

Amber pulled on some leggings under her oversized night shirt and lay down on her bed, watching Nina wait, pretending to be sleepy. Eventually Victor's voice echoed through the house, and after a carefully calculated interval, Nina slipped out of the room. Amber half expected Jerome to miraculously appear after Nina's exit, but he didn't show up. Amber paced the floor a few times before sliding into some flats and slipping through the doorway and into the dimly lit hallway.

She didn't know where she was going. She turned circles in the hall before deciding to nip up to the top floor, where the attic storage space was. But the attic door was locked at the top of the stairs, so she tip-toed back down, through the hall, and descended to the ground floor. She pressed an ear to Trudy's door, then Fabian's, and heard sounds of night.

When she came to the room Jerome and Alfie shared, Amber hesitated. She tempted herself to test the door handle and found it unlocked. Ever so carefully, she peaked around the jamb and found Alfie snoring, but Jerome absent from his bed.

But he hadn't come to her, so where would he have gone? To the kitchen? Outside, to the trees? The bathroom?

Amber found the kitchen empty, so looked out from all the windows to peer across the darkened school grounds. She didn't want to risk alerting Victor by opening the heavy, creaking front door, so instead she resigned herself to trying to get more sleep.

In the upstairs hallway, Amber could see lamplight shining under her door even though all their lights had been out when Nina left. Perhaps Nina had come back upstairs while Amber had been in the kitchen. She carefully, quietly re-entered the room.

Jerome lay on his back on top of Amber's bed, toying with a plush rabbit he held outstretched over his head. A small photo album rested on his chest. He didn't turn to her, but continued to paw the stuffed rabbit while he spoke.

"How did you figure it out?" He asked.

If Amber could put the pieces together, of course Jerome could do the same in return. "I found it in your room while I was waiting for Alfie. I didn't mean to be nosy. I was just bored."

She stood perfectly still in the middle of the room.

"Is that why you picked me to be your secret keeper? Because Poppy was ill, too?"

"Yes and no. Not exactly."

"Then what, exactly?"

Amber sighed. It was time to let it all come out. "I guess I thought you could understand because of what I thought you'd already been through. I mean, you're hard on Poppy, but it's obvious you care about her. I dunno, Jerome. It wasn't right, was it. And I'm sorry."

Jerome lowered the rabbit to his chest, placing it atop the photo album, and finally turned his head to look at Amber. She was a mess of things that didn't add up to Amber in his mind. Skinny limbs and pale skin, her shirt too big, an un-color-coordinated scarf haphazardly looped to hide the bandage on her neck, hair knotted into a sloppy braid.

Amber walked toward him, feeling his eyes follow her movement, and sat down at his feet. She didn't look back at him. "Daddy called me the day I gave you the note. The lab results from my last doctor's appointment had arrived and there was a whole new list of things I shouldn't eat, activities I shouldn't do. It was getting worse. It's not going to kill me, but it's making things a _lot_ harder.

"And I didn't know what to do. I was scared, and I wanted someone to talk to. Trudy knows, but it's so weird to talk to her about it when she's sweet to me all the time. I tried to talk to Alfie, and it was all so bad. He didn't understand. And then I remembered the photo album, and thought just maybe you could help me. I don't know how or why. Stupid of me."

A silence stifled the room, and Jerome allowed it to remain awkward.

" I'm sorry," she said again, staring off into nothing in particular. "I wanted to believe you could be strong for me, comfort me, support me. But then when you actually showed up, you took my arm after supper and I thought 'this is my chance'... And I couldn't take it. There you were, with your floppy hair and your cocky comments, and what I wanted I couldn't ask for." Amber sighed again. She felt as though she ought to be crying, but she wasn't really sad. Just disappointed in herself and confused by the situation.

Jerome struggled up into a sitting position, the album and rabbit falling into his lap. "Amber, look at me." It wasn't a request but a command. She obeyed. From his face, Amber got the impression Jerome was just as tired and restless as she was.

"You don't need me to be strong for you. You're strong for yourself."

Her gaze fell again. "But I have all these-"

"No, no," he cut her off. "That doesn't matter. You _are_ strong. But promise me something: do not _ever_ put me through something like this again."

The venom in Jerome's voice surprised Amber. Her head lifted, her eyes meeting his again. What was this? He spoke again.

"If we are to be friends, if I am to remain your confidante, you must never keep dangerous or potentially life-threatening secrets from me ever again. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"And do you want me to be your friend?" His expression was difficult to read. Amber knew she was hesitating too long, but she had to be sure of herself. Of him.

"Yes. If you'll have me." Her delicate limbs trembled with tension, and there was a barely perceptible twitch in Jerome's face. He leaned forward over his knees, giving Amber a hard look.

"Of course," he finally let out, breaking into his mischievous smile. "After all, you've seen me cry. I'll have to keep tabs on you."

She smiled back, turning bodily toward him and curling her legs under her where she sat. They shared a moment of quiet peace and Amber felt as though she had finally received the correct medicine for what had been ailing her these past weeks. And when the moment passed, both of them having begun to breathe a bit more easily, Amber climbed up the bed and lay down beside him, resting her head upon Jerome's chest.

Her hand lapped over him, moving the photo album away from them across the bedspread and grasping the ears of the plush bunny before tucking herself into him. Jerome's arms closed around her, as well. His hands settled upon her hair and side, his fingers entangled in silver-gold hair, her pulse warm beneath them.

Jerome noted a suddenly deeper inhalation of breath and spoke before Amber had a chance. "And stop apologizing. It's really annoying."

"_You're_ really annoying," was her friendly come-back. Jerome's chuckle rumbled in his chest against Amber's ear, and she smiled. Jerome couldn't help but entangle his fingers in her hair and sigh contentedly.

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><p>Somehow Jerome had fallen asleep beside her, his breaths evening, heartbeat slowing slightly in its rhythmic lullaby. Amber couldn't remember ever remaining awake after Jerome, as he had always slipped away sometime before Amber awoke and Nina returned in the morning. She considered rousing him, but she didn't want to forsake his warmth and solidity beside her. Though her mind's gears continued to turn, she was calm, and felt safe beside him.<p>

Instead of prodding him awake, Amber carefully extricated herself from Jerome's embrace and rose to turn off the lamp and replace the photo album on the bedside table. She draped her purple throw over him and gently eased herself under her covers. Jerome murmured in his sleep but continued to doze as she rewove herself into his side.

It was more difficult to keep her eyelids from drooping in the dark. Amber gazed at Jerome's too-close, sleeping profile and mused quietly to herself. "Do you love me, Jerome?"

"_Mmmm_..." issued from his throat, and he rolled onto his side, tightening his embrace of her, yet slumbering on.

With a sigh, clutching at the plush rabbit between them, Amber felt through the layers of blankets for Jerome's heartbeat against her palm.

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><p><strong>AN:** _This chapter is dedicated to Jamber111 and z3stygurl97, for their encouragement and support. SullyClarke, too, for her many reviews. As always, your reviews, concrit, and feedback are so much appreciated! I'm tickled pink to hear from anyone. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the story and not hate me too much! -the PuffleHuff_


	9. Cold Water

"You know, you talk in your sleep?"

Jerome blanched. "I do not."

"You do."

He pulled in a long breath, combing his hands back through his hair. "What did I say?"

"Nothing particular." Amber's tone was far too gleeful.

"Fu-uck..." He drew out the word in dejection, pulling his fingers over his face. Amber laughed at him.

"Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." She gave him a cheeky smile when he peaked at her through his hands. "For now."

Amber's teasing was a little dangerous. She hadn't asked Jerome her questions while he'd been conscious. She was oh so pleased with herself over the fact that Jerome had fallen asleep with her, cuddling up close to her in his sleep. It felt like an affirmation of her deepened connection to him, her power over him.

She was clear that in actuality this was a false correlation, that she wasn't ready to confront her conflicting feelings. That she wasn't ready to hear Jerome's conscious answers. But she wasn't ready to admit the delusion to herself yet, either. And especially not now, on a beautiful afternoon, with warm breezes playing over her arms and some kind of amazing pink juice in the glass Mara had handed her before chasing Patrica into the lake.

"Millington, if you don't tell me right now-" Jerome had stood up and was stalking toward Amber's seat beneath a shade tree- "I swear I'll throw you in."

Amber met the mischievous grin on Jerome's face with one of her own and shook her head. He leaned over, hands outstretched in what was undoubtedly meant to be an intimidating fashion. Jerome's eyebrows shot up in final warning as he paused, standing over the giggling blonde. He waggled his fingers at her and she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head more vigorously.

Amber's shrieks brought the attention of the whole gathering, who laughed at the scene. Jerome had swooped the girl up over his shoulder and appeared to be tickling her mercilessly as he carried her toward the water's edge.

He stopped on the sand. "Last chance!" he offered with a shout.

"Jerome!" she shrieked once more. And then he was running into the cold water, and she was flying through the air.

The splashdown wasn't pleasant, but the frigid bubbles swirling around Amber were refreshing. Momentarily she feared for the healing scabs beneath the elastoplasts on her arms and neck. Then the thought of disgusting squishy things on the lake floor overtook her mind. And then the cold, cold liquid was forcing all conscious thought from her mind and she was swirling up towards sunlight and air.

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><p><strong>AN:**_ Thanks for your patience, all, and thank you for reading on. I wanted to get this up yesterday evening, but kept getting kicked out of FF for some reason. Anyway, here it is! As always, please feel free to review, send feedback and concrit, or pm with any thoughts or concerns. Cheers, the PuffleHuff  
><em>


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: **My apologies for the delay! Midterms wiped me out for a bit. Here is a nice long chapter to satiate your appetites. Hopefully. Hahaha! Thank you for reading!_

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><p>"Oh god, you're naked!"<p>

Jerome looked down at his bare chest self-consciously. He awkwardly crossed his arms over his front. Amber's hands had flown to her face when Jerome had opened the door.

"I'm wearing boxers. You're fine," he mumbled and wiped sleep from his eyes.

It had taken Jerome by surprise when he'd received a text message (or several, actually, by the time he'd woken up) from Amber in the middle of the night. It wasn't really their style to communicate through technology, but he'd gone to his door anyway. Probably a good thing Alfie slept so soundly.

"I'm glad you're here. Sort of... Ambs, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Amber's eyes were a bit wide and it was clear she was trying very hard not to stare at Jerome's bare torso. Generally, whenever they'd rendezvoused at night, Jerome would wear some pajamas, or a t-shirt and flannel pants at least. He wasn't sure how he felt about Amber snuggling against his bare skin, - and she would, despite his protestations - so he'd always covered up. But when she'd given him no time, caught him off guard, he hadn't had much of a choice.

"Would you stop making that face at me."

"I'm sorry," she insisted, squeezing her eyes shut and nodding her head. "It's just-" her eyes opened and stared again- "there's just so much... skin."

Jerome rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. Hang on." He ducked back into his room, grabbed the first thing he could lay his hands on, and pulled his cardigan over his arms.

In the hall, Amber was gazing absently toward the entryway. Jerome eased the dorm room door closed silently, and took in the sight of the girl. She'd regained more of her rosy color since returning to Anubis House, and was beginning to look steadier and healthy again. She was still waifishly thin, though, and Jerome couldn't remember if she'd always been that way, or if he'd only noticed after her visit to the hospital.

He wasn't sure if Amber knew he was watching her, but Jerome suddenly felt he was maybe being a bit creepy. He reminded himself that there must've been a reason for her to text in the middle of the night, and that this was his opportunity to ask a few questions of his own for a change.

"Ambs?" He whispered into the dark a little too close to her ear. A slight shiver ran through her, but Amber had, in fact, felt Jerome's eyes on her before he'd come up behind her. She easily turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was vaguely more clothed than he had been, but her cheek still connected with exposed skin. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo.

Pulling away, Amber noted Jerome's dark blue cardigan, half buttoned over his naked torso, before forcing her eyes to focus on his face again. "Living room?" she suggested.

"What about Victor?"

"He's out tonight, remember? And Trudy snores, so she'll never hear us." She was already moving into the large, main room of the boarding house, so Jerome followed.

She settled herself on the leather sofa with her legs pulled up under her, leaving her slippers on the ground. Amber patted the cushion beside her, but instead, Jerome set himself on the edge of the coffee table directly opposite the girl.

"So," Jerome began. "Why'd you show up at my door at midnight?"

"No, you first. What did you want to ask me about?" Amber was hoping the darkness would hide the flush she could feel creeping up her neck. She hadn't exactly been subtle about the secret conversations she'd had with herself while Jerome had been asleep on her bed several nights previously. Whatever had possessed her to tease Jerome about talking in his sleep – the sunshine, the sugary lemonade, temporary insanity – it hadn't been the most brilliant decision. It was bound to stir suspicions in the blue-eyed boy, and Amber had a feeling he was about to air them.

"Okay. When we were at the lake-"

_Here we go_, she thought.

"-you said I talk in my sleep. And I _know_ I must have said something embarrassing or you wouldn't have brought it up."

"Mmm," she hummed noncommittally.

His eyes seemed to be reflecting all the tinniest glimmers of light in the room. He looked expectantly at Amber. She'd decided it was best not to look at him at all, to avoid staring at his exposed collarbone.

"Well?" Jerome encouraged. She glanced back at him.

"Well, what? You talk in your sleep."

"Bullshit. What did I say?" His voice was stern, but Amber thought she detected a note of self-consciousness, and a slight blush.

She sighed. "Jerome, I..." she started, then paused. "When you fell asleep, I... um..."

"What? What was it you heard me say?" He was tired and irritated with Amber's evasiveness.

"It wasn't so much that you talk in your sleep... It's more that you answered my questions in your sleep." Amber's whole body was hot with embarrassment and something closely resembling fear. Or was it excitement? She hazarded a look in Jerome's direction, but it was clear he didn't really understand what she'd said.

"I... I asked you things while you were asleep. I couldn't get to sleep for while, so I was thinking out loud... and then you started answering me."

Jerome rubbed his hands over his face and combed his fingers through his bed-head. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. It means _that_. I asked you stuff while you were asleep. And you were talking in your dreams. I guess."

"Like what?" He stared as she sat silently for a moment again. She couldn't hold his gaze for more than a second at a time, though, and dropped her eyes to her slippers. Jerome reached across, poking Amber's knee, but got no response. Her sight rose up to his face in the dark again.

"What sort of stuff did you want to ask me?" He asked in what he was hoping was a calmer, reassuring tone, but it was hard to keep an even head with the blonde. With exhausted clarity, Jerome was beginning to see just how much of a head-fuck Amber could be. In the dark he couldn't tell if she was struggling not to cry or to burst out laughing.

"Jerome, I..." Amber's voice came out in a strangled squeak. Jerome quickly bridged the gap between them, shifting from his table perch to the cushion Amber had originally indicated. He saw her swallow hard and laid a hand on her bare foot.

"You know how I wanted your help? How I wanted you to be able to take care of me, make this... thing-" she gestured vaguely across her abdomen - "somehow better?"

"What does this have to do w-" his voice was rising out of a whisper into clear tones of exasperation.

"Just hold on, I'm getting there. I want to tell you this. This is why I texted. I need to just get this out, okay?" Her eyes finally met his again, looking a little desperate.

"Okay." He made an open armed gesture indicating she should continue.

"At first I just needed someone to talk to and be there for me, like a brother, or something. I want someone – wanted you – to be my friend. But you're more than that to me now, Jerome, and I feel like you see me clearer than I see me. So..." she inhaled slowly before going on. "When you were asleep, I was wondering if... if you love me."

A choking sort of sound caught in Jerome's throat, but Amber pressed on anyway.

"I mean, you were asleep, and it felt good to have you there. And the fact of the matter is, _I_ do. _I_ love you. It took me a while to figure out, but... it's true. I'm not sure if I'm _in love_ with you exactly, but I know that you mean a whole lot to me, Jerome. A lot, a lot..." She realized she was beginning to babble, and stopped.

Jerome's eyebrows were knit together in consternation, and now he was the one who couldn't meet Amber's gaze. He could feel the awkward heat rolling off Amber's body and regretted their close proximity.

"Say something, Jerome," she begged.

There was a long pause. And then, "What did I say? What did I say when you asked?"

"Well... nothing. You hummed and pulled me closer. And I could feel your heart beating, so... I just kept whispering to you. I... asked you about Poppy, and your dad... and Mara." She was very sure he could see her bright red cheeks now, even with all the lights out.

"That's when you started murmuring. I asked if you really had a crush on Mara. Alfie told me you did. But then -" Amber giggled meekly- "you mumbled 'that bookworm' and I thought you must have been awake."

She paused, and thought she could practically hear the gears in Jerome's head grinding. He hadn't been expecting anything like this when Amber's texts had arrived, when she appeared outside his door, when they'd settled in the living room. He had no idea what to say. He wasn't sure what someone was _supposed_ to say in this situation, or if he _wanted_ to say anything. There was one thing he needed to know, though.

"Did I say anything about... about you? About you and me?"

Their eyes finally met again, and Amber was surprised by his earnest expression. It wasn't quite a look of fear, but of someone balanced on the edge of a major decision.

"I..." She wasn't sure if he really wanted to hear her answer. Jerome slid closer on the sofa. Without looking away from her, his fingers found her hands and rested carefully over them.

"Because, Ambs... I..."

Was this it? Was Jerome about to profess his undying love for her? Was he going to say he liked her? Was he moving closer? Was he going to kiss her? Was he going to ask her out? Was he going to pledge his support to her? A string of possibilities ran on fast-forward through Amber's mind, running in a zillion directions, but always circling back to a scenario where Jerome's sentence ended in '-love you.'

"I think I'd be a bad choice for you."

"Oh." Amber's heart sank and a lump formed in her throat. She expected him to move his hands, to stand up, walk away. But he was still right there, staring at her. Her skin erupted in goosebumps.

"I'm really an awful person, Amber." It still looked like Jerome's eyes were getting closer in the dark.

"You're not a terrible person, Jerome..." Amber managed to whisper, although she was unable to move away from him.

"I said I was awful, not terrible."

"Oh," she lamely answered once again. "Well, I don't believe you..."

Jerome's blood was coursing at several times its usual rate. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. It seemed like there were a few hundred conflicting voices in his head, but he shut them all out. Willing himself not to think, just to feel.

"Ambs..."

"Yes?"

His face was mere centimeters from Amber's, yet Jerome's eyes remained locked on hers. Amber's sense of self-preservation had finally kicked in and pushed her back against the arm of the sofa. He leaned over her, hovered with one moment's hesitation. Then Amber's eyelashes fluttered, her eyes closed, and his lips were on hers.

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><p>There was no way he could have anticipated what it would feel like to kiss her. He hadn't <em>actually<em> kissed very many people before. Maybe he thought it would've been like kissing his sister. But it wasn't, and _thank god for that_.

After several long moments, Jerome pulled back ever so slightly and reopened his eyes. He couldn't remember shutting them. He also didn't remember Amber's hands having moved, but found one clutched around the collar of his cardigan all the same. The other clasped the middle and ring fingers of his right hand. Her eyes were still closed, and Jerome could see the pulse fluttering in her neck, just beneath her ear.

"Ambs?" His voice vibrated against her lips.

"Hmm?" she managed. Her thoughts had been silenced. There was no road map for wherever this was going.

"I'm gonna do that again, alright?" he stated more than asked. And he did.

This time, their lips more than met. Their mouths melded together in a way Jerome hadn't experienced with anyone else. Amber's hands pressed against his chest, pushing him away, while simultaneously grasping at his sweater, pulling them closer together. She tasted like toothpaste and sleep, and something uniquely Amber. She was pushing herself up onto her knees and pulling Jerome along with her. They knelt on the sofa, tasting and exploring each other's tongue. And then Amber was silently guiding him again.

Jerome found himself lying flat on the leather with Amber pressed against him. She was light but solid, and the frantic way she clutched at his sweater made him want to pull her closer. His arms wrapped tightly around her and his fingers tangled in her hair. It was several long, ecstatic minutes before the gears of Jerome's mind started turning again, panicked by the lack of oxygen.

His hand cupped Amber's face and pushed them gently apart. He gazed hungrily at her, kissed her briefly once more, and then pulled his lips more fully away from hers. Her eyes fluttered open again and her look was devastatingly appealing.

"Amber," he whispered between them and smiled.

"Jerome," she replied in kind. But he didn't go on, just stared into her face until she pushed herself up to a straddling position across his waist.

Jerome leveraged himself up onto his elbows and continued to gaze into Amber's face. They needed to talk about this. That's what was supposed to happen next. They had to talk about what they'd just done, and how they felt, and what it all meant. But all Jerome wanted to do was kiss Amber again, as soon as possible. With a series of swift motions, he managed to destabilize Amber's perch, stand up, and sweep the girl into his arms, startling her immensely.

"Let's take this meeting upstairs, shall we?"

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><p>It was more difficult than he'd anticipated to carry the girl up the stairs without bumping into practically everything, and at the top of the landing Jerome had to set her down. He kept his arm around her, and thrilled just a bit to feel Amber's fist grasping the back of his sweater. Jerome hesitated just outside Amber's door, but the blonde tugged at him reassuringly.<p>

"Fabian's 'last night of freedom'," she offered as explanation before ushering Jerome through the doorway.

It was dark in the room, with the curtains drawn. Amber's body was awash in sensations and hormones, making it difficult to decide whether to switch on her lamp. Jerome could feel the tension in her spine, and was increasingly more aware of how uncomfortable it was to go from the situation they had just been in to the awkward logistics of where they stood now.

"I, uh. Do you-? Um." Amber stuttered and fidgeted under Jerome's gaze.

Applying gentle pressure to her waist, Jerome turned Amber to face him and wrapped his free arm back around her. Her hands automatically slid up between his shoulder blades and she relaxed, just holding on and letting herself be calm with him again. They stood very still for a bit. Amber silently counting Jerome's heartbeats. Jerome breathing in the scent of all things that reminded him of Amber. And when they broke apart it was a mutual movement.

Jerome stepped away and lay down on her bed. Amber sat at his feet, completing the mirror image of her first night back in Anubis House. This time, however, the tension between them wasn't chilly with betrayal and secrets kept too long; it burned with something Jerome had almost suspected had been there all along. Something he still wasn't sure he'd admitted to himself, even with the taste of her lips still dancing on his tongue.

Jerome's look was hungry, and Amber wanted nothing more than to kiss him again. She wanted to feel his hands on her and know he was hers. But she didn't know. It all suddenly felt so much more uncertain than it had in the weeks – or was it months now – since the first note.

"Jerome," she hesitated, but there really was nothing left to lose. "I want you."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Do you want us to...?" Jerome was embarrassed to finish his question, but Amber was pretty sure she knew what he was getting at.

"Not-not yet. Is that okay?"

"Of course. No pressure." He was honestly relieved, but hoped his words had sounded more calm and confident. He hesitated again, embarrassed, but curious. "Are you...?"

"A virgin?" She finished for him. Amber quirked one eyebrow at him and laughed quietly. It was becoming clear that Jerome was just as uncomfortable as she was. "No. Just once. With Mick. It was _super_ awkward."

Even though she had looked away, Jerome could see Amber's eyes roll at the words 'super awkward' in his mind, and it made him smile.

"Are you?" She asked, looking back to him.

He nodded in the dark. "No jokes, please," he said, raising his hands in front of him to ward off any sort of attack. Their awkward laughter eased some of the tension that had formed around them.

"I don't care," Amber said after her giggles had subsided. Her hand snaked across the bedspread and grasped Jerome's. She wove her fingers between his and looked lovingly into his eyes through the darkness. His thumb traced circles against her skin. "Come here." She tugged at him until he sat up and scooted closer to her. She quietly examined the features of his face, and raised her free hand to trace the contours of his clavicle.

She brought herself very close, close enough that Jerome was tempted to steal another kiss. "I love you," she whispered against his lips before settling over them.

This kiss was slow, careful. Almost studious. Jerome was overwhelmed by the sensation in his lips. Once again, all thoughts were silenced. It was as if he'd touched his mouth to that magical stuff lightening must be made of, before science explained away the awe and wonder.

They stayed like that until one or the other, who could tell which?, had been unable to sit upright any longer. Then they'd broken briefly to lie down and arrange themselves. And then, a third time, to pull back the covers and curl into bed. With each interruption, the uncertain discomfort had returned, but each time was also slightly less embarrassing.

Eventually fatigue reclaimed them both, and they simply clung to one another as dawn approached.

"What about Nina?" Amber asked through a yawn.

"What about her?"

"What if she finds you still here?"

"Would you care if she did?" Jerome asked, laying a careful kiss against Amber's forehead.

She hesitated. "I guess not." She paused again. "What should we tell people?"

"The truth?" He offered.

"Do you think they could handle it?"

"You're right. Probably not," Jerome sighed and held her tighter.

"Probably not," Amber repeated with another yawn and rolled onto her side. A comfortable quiet filled the room, mingling with the sounds of night.

"Ambs, what are we?" Jerome's question went unanswered, his companion fast asleep.

The boy shifted beneath the blankets, matching the slumbering blonde's contours and holding her close. Their hands still intertwined, he fell asleep to the rhythmic lullaby of their hearts beating in time.

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><p><strong>AN: **_Oh no! Amber's slippers are still in the living room! Dundundun! Okay, so I'm super cheesy this late at night/early in the morning. Was that last sentence too much? Oh well. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, reviews are much appreciated. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to pm as well. Thanks again! -the PuffleHuff_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**_ So, so sorry for the delay! A more explanatory note follows at the bottom. Thanks for reading on!_

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><p>Amber woke with a start as Nina came crashing through the door before slamming it behind her. The startled blonde would have sat bolt upright in bed, except there was an unfamiliar weight laying across her chest that kept her from getting very far off the pillows. But when her sleep-blurred vision noted the change in Nina's face from panic to anger, it suddenly dawned on Amber. It was a Jerome-shaped weight in bed beside her, his arm looped over her as he somehow managed to slumber on.<p>

"Jerome?" Nina practically shrieked, and that got him up. The lanky boy jerked and unceremoniously fell from the twin bed in his mad bid to deny whatever he was about to be accused of while simultaneously hiding from whomever was making the accusations. Most of Amber's bedsheets tumbled to the floor with him.

Amber snatched up her plush rabbit, unnecessarily clutching it to her chest, eyes wide. She was entirely decent in her pajamas, but she still felt _very _exposed. Jerome, on the other hand, had lost his cardigan somewhere in the night, and was looking a lot farther from innocent as he scrambled to conceal so much bare skin from Nina's penetrating glare. Her green eyes flashed and she fisted her hair in frustration.

"This morning could not get _any_ worse!" Nina muttered to herself as she spun on the spot.

"Nina," Amber hoped she sounded friendly, and not as terror-stricken as she was. "Nina, it's not what you think, alright?" The blonde scrambled up from her bed and grabbed for her roommate's shoulders. "Nina, it's not what you think, I swear!"

The American girl shook off Amber's clutching hands and turned the full force of her angry gaze on the floundering blonde. "And just what is it that I'm thinking, Amber? What is it that you're denying?"

Amber took a deep breath in an endeavor to steady her nerves, but failed. "I-I know it looks like Jerome and I- it looks like we were in bed together, and... that maybe we'd been doing- that we'd been... naughty, but... We didn't do- there was no- I mean, we were just -"

Somehow, Jerome had managed to extricate himself from the tangle of linens and cover himself with a throw blanket. He was tugging his arms through the sleeves of his cardigan when he stepped between the two girls to fend off any impending cat fight. Under other circumstances he would have relished the idea, but this was _not_ the time.

Jerome stared down the fuming brunette, forcing her gaze away from the trembling Amber. "Nina, what Amber is trying to say is that nothing happened in here last night. Just two friends falling asleep together. Nothing more." He had to stifle a sigh at the end. He saw a flinch in Nina's face and a blush beginning to sneak across her cheeks, but the wave of relief that washed over him broke too soon.

Amber had regathered her courage and self-possession and was wheeling on Nina. "And it's not like you don't go sneaking off to Fabian's every night, anyway!" The tension in the room immediately climbed, and Jerome knew he had to get out of there before the volume rose with it. Very shortly, the whole house would be awake, if they weren't already, and he'd have no chance of making a clean get away.

A grumble became a blood curdling screech and snarled its way up and out of Nina's throat. Jerome carefully backed his way toward the door as a string of unintelligible accusations and insults flew back and forth between the two girls.

It was exchanges like this, Jerome reminded himself, that had been the reason he'd decided not to date from within Anubis House in the first place.

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><p>Jerome wasn't sure what was going on. Amber hadn't spoken to him in days, yet he consistently found her staring pointedly at him from across classrooms. And in every class they shared, Amber darted from the room as soon as the bell rang. Anything beyond eye contact was impossible. Even at the dinner table, Amber managed to be totally unreachable.<p>

At first it had seemed almost logical, in that illogical way that students who'd snogged thought about things.

There had been that awkward morning where Nina had walked in on them in bed together. Somehow, Amber had been able to smooth it over without Nina sending rumors flying all across campus, but Jerome hadn't really been clear on that, either. He wondered if Amber and Nina were mutually blackmailing each other. Amber had a laundry list of times her roommate had snuck off to be with her bookish boyfriend, and Nina had what she believed to be proof of an illicit affair between the queen bee and the prankster king. It was amazing the whole school hadn't burned down.

The point was, a day or two of non-communication made sense after all that. And in the chaos of the new student's arrival – another American, named Eddie, wreaking havoc in the halls of Anubis House – Jerome hadn't really had time to actively pursue a conversation with Amber. But this was getting uncomfortable. Amber had remained entirely distant since Jerome walked out of her dorm room that first morning. Not so much as a "Text Y or N if you'll be my boyfriend" note, let alone a conversation.

Jerome might almost feel cheap and used if his own self-image weren't already so low. But the fact was, he wanted Amber. And rarely had anything stopped Jerome from going for what he wanted.

* * *

><p>On the fourth day of radio-silence, Jerome took matters into his own hands, masterfully orchestrating a fire alarm during final period biology. In the bedlam that followed close behind the ear-splitting alarm, Jerome manage to grab Amber by the wrist and pull her into the now empty student lounge. She didn't fight him, but she didn't make it easy. Her look was blank, while her eyes flashed with something Jerome couldn't identify.<p>

"Amber, we have to-" Jerome began, but was silenced by an unexpected kiss. It was fast, and chaste, and before Jerome could regather his thoughts Amber was rattling on about something... _Brain, work, NOW_, he ordered himself.

"- so, this is really real." Amber seemed to have come to some sort of conclusion.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jerome stumbled, staring dumb-founded at the blonde girl in front of him.

Amber's expression twisted into a radiant smile. "You have no idea how adorable you are, do you?"

"Uh..."

She kissed him again, this time with a giggle. He couldn't resist kissing her back, and groaned.

"Amber... What are we?" Jerome clenched his eyes shut along with his fists, bracing for another flippant deflection, but it didn't come.

"Well, I think I'd like to try to be... your girlfriend?"

Jerome's eyes flew open, a smile spreading over his mouth as he saw Amber blush.

"Really?" he questioned.

"Well, it's not exactly what I had planned, but I think that's what I want." Her smile faltered ever so slightly, but returned when her eyes wandered up to meet Jerome's again.

"Why didn't you say something sooner? It's been _four days_, Amber!" There was a hard edge of irritation in Jerome's voice, but the same goofy smile still painted his face. Amber's expression fell into confusion.

"I just... I had to think about it." She reached out to take Jerome's hand, his fist unclenching to accommodate her. She examined it in her own. "But it makes sense, doesn't it? I want to be with you. I want us to be together."

"As a real couple?" Jerome refused to meet her eyes, feeling the heat of his own embarrassment against his neck.

The words confused Amber momentarily again. _What other kind of couple is there?_, she thought to herself before it dawned on her. "Oooh..." she whispered, and Jerome finally re-met her gaze. "Yes, Jerome. As a real couple. No more secrets."

"Good. Because... Against my better judgment, I think that's what I want, too." He let his words rush out in a sigh, the smile on his face doubling in size before he leaned down to kiss the silly blonde girl.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _I'm sorrysorrysorry it took _sooooo_ long to update. I thought I'd be okay after midterms, and then I just got more swamped with class work before finals. And I didn't have an opportunity to update while I was on vacation, so. Argh. There was a lot of time for me to be really frustrated w__ith what I did have written, so it's changed around _A LOT_. I'm hoping you all can understand__, and a big __Thank You to those of you who've stuck around! I would especially like to thank _**z3stygurl97**_, _**Jamber111**_, and _**houseofjamber**_ for their reviews, flattery, and encouragement! And another extra special thank you to _z3stygurl97_ for designing and creating the new cover for this fiction! You are the best! :)__  
><em>

_There is one more chapter to come, and I swear it won't take three months this time! Thank you all for reading! -the PuffleHuff  
><em>


	12. Happiness

**A/N:** _Another longer than anticipated gap between posting, I'm sorry to say, but at least it didn't take 3 months this time. I waffled a lot on this chapter, but I believe I am finally satisfied. I hope you will be, too. Closing note following. Thank you!_

* * *

><p>After careful consideration – and a lot of longing glances and not-really-stolen kisses – Amber and Jerome had decided the best way to break the news of their arrangement to their fellow house mates would be all at once, with the one exception being Alfie. Alfie had to hear about it from them first. From both of them. He was Jerome's best friend, and had been entirely smitten with Amber for quite a while before the whole "Amfie" debacle had gone down. Amfie had not worked out, <em>at all<em>, but it was still important to Jerome that Alfie be informed gently.

So it was, the newly committed couple sat anxiously together on the side of Jerome's bed, waiting for Alfie to return from detention before supper. It was strange and uneasy. And initially did not go well at all.

"Ha-ha, Jerome. So funny. Hilarious," it began, and "Oh my god, you're serious!" it nearly ended when Alfie threw his Stormtrooper helmet at Jerome's head. But he wasn't really angry at them, as he explained when Amber attempted to soothe the tension in the room. "I just can't believe I didn't see it sooner. Are you _sure_ you want to date this pain in the arse, Amber?"

"Yes..." Amber hesitated, unsatisfied that the boys in the room could be trusted not to go after one another as soon as she left. "Yes, Alfie, I'm as sure as I can be at the moment."

"Fine. As long as you're happy, it's fine," Alfie smiled sheepishly at her. "But if I see her so much as sniffling," he turned on Jerome, "I'll- I'll... I don't know what! But it won't be good!"

"Understood," Jerome nodded, trying to suppress his amusement at his roommate's threat.

"Oh, my heroes!" Amber gushed sarcastically, lightening the mood significantly, and bringing laughter to every face.

* * *

><p>"Um, Amber? I usually sit there," Mara pointed out as the residents of Anubis House assembled for supper.<p>

"Oh, right. Sorry Mara. Do you mind if we switch?" Amber asked as she settled into the chair beside Jerome.

"No, I guess not." The petite brunette crossed the table and seated herself between Alfie and Eddie. Patricia threw a nasty glance the new American's way as she squared away the foot of the table. Nina gave Amber a scrutinizing look before turning her winning smile on Fabian as he sat beside her at the table's head.

With all of her charges seated around the dinner table, Trudy brought out dishes of spaghetti and salad, before returning to the kitchen for a platter of garlic bread.

Eddie returned Patricia's sinister glare before setting his sights on the blonde girl across from him, giving Amber a wink. Amber smiled at the gesture, and Jerome's newly minted boyfriend instincts kicked in causing him to grab his lady friend's hand under the table. Amber's attention returned to Jerome as she turned her widening smile on him.

Mara noticed the exchange of expressions, if not the clasped hands, and her inquisitive nature came bubbling up. "What's going on with you two?" she asked as the attention of the entire room focused in on the blond duo.

From the kitchen, Trudy could here a bit of commotion, but was not expecting what greeted her as she brought out the bread.

"Well, everyone... We're dating." Jerome and Amber stood together, hand in hand, with crazy grins on their faces while everyone else sat agape. Trudy just barely managed to get her tray over the tabletop before it clattered from her hands, fluttering fingers flying to her heart.

"Oh, my dearies! Finally!" she gushed. Trudy rushed around the table to scoop the pair into a tight embrace.

"Um, Trudy, you're smooshing us!" Amber squeaked.

- "'Finally'?" -

"How'd Trudy know about this?" Mara questioned the room at large, and Fabian seconded.

"Trudes! Can't breathe," Jerome echoed Amber.

And a general chorus of 'what the's and 'since when's filled the space.

Alfie sat uncomfortably across from the outpouring of affection on their house mother's part, but with a reluctant smile on his generally smug face. "Did you know about this, too, Alfie?" Patrica asked as she noticed his lack of comment.

"Yeah. Well, only just. They told me an hour ago..."

"What the _devil_ is going on?" Victor stood bellowing in the doorway, and silence fell. Trudy released Amber and Jerome from her stranglehold, and soothed the grumpy old caretaker.

"Just an emotional announcement at the dinner table. Nothing to be alarmed over, Victor. Come on, I'll bring you your supper in just a moment." She ushered the man from the room, turning briefly to give the students a wink.

"So..." Jerome smiled, resettling into his chair with Amber beside him. "Pasta anyone?"

* * *

><p>It hadn't exactly been easy, or at all comfortable, to field the questions that bombarded them as Jerome and Amber had tried to enjoy their supper. Eventually, the table settled, and only Nina's narrow gaze had disturbed the relative peace in Amber's mind. The warm pressure of Jerome's hand around hers was reassuring as ever, and together they made it through the evening.<p>

* * *

><p>Amber's long blonde hair was tickling Jerome's bare arms in the breeze. The weight and warmth of her cheek pressed into Jerome's chest felt comforting and safe. The sun high in the sky, light filtered through the foliage, playing shadows across his eyelids. He trailed fingers through Amber's fly-away locks, wrapping a strand around his pinky. He smiled slowly to himself as he cataloged the minute and meaningless details of the afternoon. The textures of Amber's skin, the rhythms of the wind and their breath, the scent of freshly cut grass. Meaningless, but beautiful.<p>

Jerome knew better than to ever assume the vivacious and surprising blonde was unaware of him, even – and especially – when it seemed as though she sleepily dozed off, but he remained gentle with her.

"I love this freckle," Jerome whispered, brushing a fingertip over a small birthmark on the inside plane of Amber's forearm.

"I don't have freckles, Jerome," the girl quipped in return, not bothering to move except to speak.

"A beauty-mark, then," he mused, trailing his hand across her smooth flesh. He could feel her smile into his chest at the more acceptable term.

It was so picturesque Jerome almost sighed. Life wasn't supposed to be this beautiful, was it? _Not when you're 16 and the world around you makes no sense_, he thought to himself. Yet he was happy, truly happy to sit in the shade with a beautiful girl in his arms.

That beautiful girl finally shifted her weight away from Jerome, looking up into his expectant face. "I'm so happy," Amber murmured, echoing his thoughts. Her eyes, grey in the shade, found Jerome's blue ones.

He gathered her back to himself, holding her tight, feeling her fists clutch the fabric of his shirt as he kissed her.

"So am I."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Le sigh. Special thanks to _Magicians Hat_, _SullyClarke_, _Jamber111_, _MissBellaDiamond_, _TRIX19_, _Edrose_, _z3stygurl97_, _Green Adventurer_, _houseofjamber_,_ anubisfreak_, _keshafever_, and _houseofsibuna_. Your reviews and encouragement have been very much appreciated. I hope I have met your desires and expectations. And_, _of course, if I have failed you in any way, I invite you to go out and write your own stories and correct any mistakes I may have made while handling our dear friends Jerome and Amber__.  
>It's been a difficult journey, and a lot of changes were made, plot bunnies sacrificed for the greater good. But we've come through, and our characters are <strong>happy<strong>! And so am I.  
>Ever yours, the PuffleHuff<em>


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